Salida Artworks in Action
HISTORY
ArtWorks for the Heart of the Rockies was founded in 2002 by Kathy Berg, Jeff Donlan and Susan Tweit. Together with a committed board they met with early success based on their mission:
ArtWorks For the Heart of the Rockies aims to nurture, encourage and derive benefits from the region’s unique art community through education and collaboration.
The Arkansas Valley art community encompassed visual art, performance and writing with a special focus on work grounded in place and culture. Education included workshops, performances, discussions, readings and talks together with public and private schooling. At the heart of the organization, collaboration meant forming partnerships with businesses and organizations to showcase the arts and their benefits to the community.
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PAST SUCCESS-THE EARLY YEARS
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POETRY ON A PLATTER
In celebration of National Poetry Month, ArtWorks brought nationally known poets to Salida, Gunnison and Montrose libraries and public school systems. The program was designed to further arts education through public readings and workshops for the general public and local schools in a collaborated effort between the three mountain communities.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
Theatreworks, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs’ award winning touring Shakespeare company performed a three night Shakespeare festival each summer, featuring free performances, audience interaction and workshops for kids.
ARTISTS @ WORK
Artists @Work bought nationally known artists and writers to Salida to present a public talk or performance on their new work plus present a workshop at a local school.
SALIDA ARTISTS/WRITERS RESIDENCY SERIES
A cooperative effort with the Rocky Mountain Land Library, this Salida Residency offered artists, writers, and other creative thinkers two-week fellowships in Salida to pursue projects of their own design. In return the resident presented either a public or school program as a “give back” to the community.
Through these programs ArtWorks sponsored 16 visiting artists between 2004-2006.
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CONTINUED SUCCESS
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Adapting to the changing community needs, ArtWorks revised its mission to:
“seeks to weave the arts into the fabric of our community by providing programs designed to nurture artistic expression and broaden participation in the arts.”
The number of Salida artists, writers and performers had grown along with an increase in groups that supported them. Efficiently utilizing the limited resources of the small community brought the concept of collaboration into the spotlight.
SHAKESPEARE IN THE PARK
Responsibility for providing summer Shakespeare was assumed by Stage Left Theatre Company with Artworks as sponsor 2007 -2009. In 2011 ArtWorks will bring Shakespeare back, now using local talent directed by Devon Jencks and sponsored by Stage Left and High Country Arts.
COLORADO ART RANCH ARTPOSIUM
The very first and highly acclaimed weekend Artposium, “A River Runs Through Us,” was held in Salida in 2007. Colorado Art Ranch is a center for interdisciplinary creative thinking that fuses the arts and sciences to explore solutions to contemporary human and land issues. Art Ranch returned in May 2010 with their “Wade in the Water” Artposium and in 2011 with “Dwellings.”
ArtWorks joined with Stage Left to sponsor a Salida HS student trip to Denver in 2008 to see the play Plainsong and visit the Denver Art Museum. The next year’s class was able to return to see Phantom of the Opera in 2009 under this sponsorship.
In conjunction with the Central Colorado Humanists and the Salida Classical Guitar Society, ArtWorks presented this classical guitarist concert in 2007.
ArtWorks brought Sue Mogan to Longfellow Elementary School where she presented a day-long love of music program. The enthusiastic school children had hands-on experience with string instruments and were taught how to listen to music in 2008.
ArtWorks offered a summer event in Riverside Park where artists, performers and writers joined in a festival atmosphere to provide opportunities to participate in hands-on art activities in 2008.
JUNQUE SALE
In 2009-2010 ArtWorks held a successful sale with locals participating and unloading excess art supplies, trinkets and other flea market type goods.
FARMERS MARKET
Each summer since 2009 ArtWorks purchases two booths at the Farmer’s Market for the season. In turn the booths are offered to artisans a weekend at a time saving them the seasonal fee and presenting the opportunity to reach a new audience.
STUDIO TOUR
ArtWorks is collaborating with AVAC in Buena Vista to present annual Studio Tours. The tour alternates annually between the two communities. Sixteen local artists opened their studios to the public in 2009. In 2010 eleven artists participated in BV. The tour returns to Salida in 2011 in September.
REGISTRY SHOW
ArtWorks has had an online registry free to local artists since 2007. Each year since then Artworks has held a juried exhibit of the works of these artists and writers. In 2010 the show was opened to the entire space at the SteamPlant and 60 artists participating giving viewers a cross-section o0f the talent and diversity available in our valley.
WRITING WORKSHOPS AND WORDS
Also beginning in 2009 Artworks presents a theatre production where local artists take the stage to read their works. In 2010 ArtWorks brought poets and writers from Colorado and as far away as New York and Australia to present workshops and readings.
